Well alot is going on here, and i will try to list all the important events. Starting in the Southern European/Middle east. Near turkey an Indian Infantry Division is routed by turkish forces, who are content at staying in their positions, and thus do not follow up. In Greece, the noose is tightening, and Bulgarian and Rumanian troops, supported by Italians, are making their way to Athens. The news papers are writing, the barbarians are coming!

In western Europe, the Germans surround Amsterdam and shell it, while in Denmark the troops there try to assault Copenhagen from two sides, but are repulsed, by the valiant efforts of the Danish Army, the so called "Flak fort" of Copenhagen, and British troops stationed there... however losses were high, and it is uncertain if Copenhagen can be held... Jews are seen making their escape to neutral Sweden in small fishing boats, as the rumours of Nazi cruelty have travelled ahead. In real life Denmark hardly resisted the Germans, but the efforts of the danish civilians in helping the jews escape to Sweden later in the war is well documented.

In Poland, the German army is ruthless, and swift and surely grinds its way to warsaw, cutting it off from its would be Soviet saviours. A hard decision has to be made about what to do this turn, in Poland. The end is surely near. The battles of Poland are very hard to describe, but I have tried to do them justice with the map below.

Lets start with the good news. Spanish troops are so scared of the British in Gibraltar, that they have fled the area. Cadiz surrenders to British diplomats, asking politely if they would want to surrender, or be bombed by british planes! In Libya, british forces now stand before Benghazi. And in East Africa Mogadishu falls without a shot being fired.

The British atlantic fleet bombards the troops that have surrounded Amsterdam, and the effect is very noticable. After a follow up bombing raid, most of the forces are scattered and bewildered looking. Tanks have been flipped upside down, and the flimsy Armored cars and halftracks have been shredded by the naval bombardments.

Speaking of naval actions, the Battle of the Agean sea continues, with more losses to the Italian surface fleet... Also the Rumanian fleet is routed and beaten badly by a single cruiser group. British planes raid the airfields in Messina, and shoot down a few Italian planes. Those CR32s (Fighter Is) are really no match for Hurricanes (Fighter III)

Things look very bleak for the Chinese. Not only was last month marred by the disasterous attack near Yenan, on Japanese troops, but the Japanese in the area have begun a ferrousious counter attack: Taking all the plains hexes around the city.

Also, Chinese bombardment, and air attacks against Wuhan knock the location out, and it will be some time before it can produce supplies and fuel again. This turns out to be good news, as the city falls to japanese troops attacking from four sides. At least it will be a while before they get something out of it.

Not much to report actuallly, chinese forces try and straighten the line, dig in, and defend as best they can. Yenan is prepared for a final defence. With it´s defenders getting strict orders to not budge one step, when the japanese come. A single air raid is made on the advancing Japanese, and some casualties are inflicted...

7 British battleships, and the last of their prestigious fleet, sit at the bottom of the ocean.

On a side note, germany cant build battleships, so I cant tell exactly how much one these behemoths costs. My battlecruiser IIs cost 24,000 production points.

7 of those is ALL of germanies national production, several times over. So this is a big blow. Replacing this losses is either going to take a long long time, or is going to take up a large chunk of their production in the near future, which helps the situation in Europe considerably.

Or maybe they never replace these losses and germany and its uboats are free to roam the atlantic.

If it wasnt for the soviet union, Germany would be right on track historically, but the time line would be 6 months advanced.

The soviet troops arent very good, all at thier max of 10 xp, while german troops in the AO in the upper 30s.

At first I saw alot of Rifle IIs, but these appear to just be the assault forces, recon and examination of their reserves shows that the soviet army still contains many Rifle Is. This is also good news.

The rest of the losses, and not pictured are germanys 3 lost pocket battleships, and 18 tankettes.

As well as the allies 87 cavalry Is and their 2 spitfire losses. Also 5 tankettes.

Production this turn for germany was 205 Rifle IIs (this will continue next turn as well to fully replace my infantry losses, cavalry is being phased out) 6 Artillery IIs (can always use more) 3 heavy truck squadrons to transport then, 14 20mm flak bdes and 7 40mm flak bdes, to place at my oilfields and airbases, 12 heavy mgs bdes to start replacing the 30 losses to those forces, 14 squadrons of fighter IVs, 9 submarine IIIs (still ahead of my losses, thats so evil) and 10 staff to replace a few losses to air attacks and to prepare for the formation of another armored division in a few months to deal with the soviet unions incursion.

Along with cav, infantry guns will be phased out, as will horses and light trucks. Trucks will be replaced with halftracks, infantry guns replaced with mortars. Tankettes also will be phased out, and losses to anything below level III in the air i wont even count, as it was useless to begin with. If any of it took something with it, job well done.

So far so good, besides the pocket battleships, and the things being phased out, replacements have kept up with losses, and 3 important cities (and heavy production centers, though theyre damaged) are in german hands.

The loss of Koneigsberg weighs heavy on my mind, but what can you do about a suprise attack by the soviet union, that those are their only gains so far is a god send. I expected the soviets to use up all their forces as fast as possible to try and knock out the axis in Europe, but it seems their caution is well placed with 10 xp troops.

Production of PPs is back above 30, which is the minimum i want to be producing. I need to expand this to keep the german army up to date, as well continue to build factories and upgrade production.

Hungary was taken over to provide some more forces on the front with russia and plug a small hole they caused. Also I dont know if the allies can still coup Hungary but that would be a pain in the ass to deal with unexpectedly. It was 40 pps I didnt want to spend, its surely not worth it, but the security and opportunity cost were good, so I went for it.

On a side note, germany cant build battleships, so I cant tell exactly how much one these behemoths costs. My battlecruiser IIs cost 24,000 production points.

Actually everybody can and can´t. Understood like this. To build a the new generation of battleships one needs to research them first. Those can be built (Battleship IVs), but they cost a staggering 45000 production points each.

From what I´ve seen up to now, we need, maybe, some adjustments in naval warfare. Submarines are too effective against destroyers and aircraft, and destroyers, as a whole, are too vulnerable. Destroyer losses are very high. Otherwsie, I think the naval system is ok.

On a side note, germany cant build battleships, so I cant tell exactly how much one these behemoths costs. My battlecruiser IIs cost 24,000 production points.

Actually everybody can and can´t. Understood like this. To build a the new generation of battleships one needs to research them first. Those can be built (Battleship IVs), but they cost a staggering 45000 production points each.

Right I just havent researched them. Germany doesnt have much use in a surface fleet. Maybe if things go swimmingly. (Pun intended)

And wow @ 45k production (I think I noticed this as Japan, but havent built any ships with them yet) So thats quite a whollop losing 7 battleships.

I feel alot less bad about the losses the luftwaffe took this turn.

On to Italy:

21 Transport aircraft are gifted from germany to solve the supply problem in Italys overseas holding issue. 974 Supply was sunk this turn. Thats supply that could be better utilized upgrading SFTs if its not going to make it to units over seas anyways.

All overseas hqs are detached from Regia Marina. Theyre going to have to forage and live off their stocks over the next month while we get this sorted out.

Losses were heavy to escorts guarding the Italian fleet off the coast of greece. I think this is due to my deployment more so than them being too fragile. Since the way ATG works is that if a unit has no place to "flee" it surrenders in battle, a large single unit of naval vessels is very very vulnerable to being surrounded (if youre going to leave you fleets out, leave them a protected way to flee back to a friendly port) and then it merely has to lose a sea battle to be totally destroyed, wether all the ships are sunk or not.

So ive been using massive screens in the surrounding hexes of little units of destroyers and subs (which generally just submerge), it uses up the enemies action points, so that when they do get to your large fleet, they have taken hits to their readiness, and dont have a full cadre of action points to use against you.

This does mean that those little fleets are going to be horribly outnumbered and die in droves. But I think its essential to protecting the big fleet.

This strategy led to these results, as both the french main fleet, and british mediterrian fleet (britians last 3 battleships?! can I be so lucky?!) fight their way to the Italians main fleet off greece, and a descisive battle occurs.

Both fleets slink away with similar damage, and the descisive battle...is not descisive in the med.

In real life, the Italian navy didnt survive these descisive encounters. Bad descisions by Mussolini left the nation with no oil reserves, and no way to move its fleets. Its lack luster airforce, lack of radar, and generally tom foolery, allowed the british carrier Illustrious to attack them at port and sink the 3 battle ships I still have. Then a few weeks later, the descisive battle at Cape Matapan (which is 1 hex from where this battle just went down in our game, pretty cool huh!!!) finished off the Regia Marina as a fighting force.

I corrected these mistakes, having saved up fuel, and moved my fleet out of Taranto and towards Istanbul, where AA guns and german fighters stationed to protect the area can cover them. And well out of the range of allied land based bombers.

The same battle still occured with england and france trying (england and austrialia in real life) to achieve the knock out blow to the italian navy.

This time however it survives! Glory dayyys!

Its still a mere shell of itself, but losses were heavy on the allied side as well. While they own the med for now, nothing is certain in the future. The 3 great Italian battleships still survive, as do many of its capital ships. The screens took the brunt of the damage on both sides.

Results are from a few bombardments, and the naval battle. I did lose 4 cruisers, but sunk 1, and our screens both took the same amount of damage roughly. It was a bad day to be a gunboat or destroyer in the med.

Bombur thinks the results are a little high, im of the impression that its just the brutal way in which were using the fleets. Both Ernie and myself went right at each others throats with the naval game, trying to get early control of our areas.

We could have played the cat and mouse chess game of coming out of port only when a good target presented itself, and losses would be lower.

Now though in the span of two turns I think the battles for the med and atlantic are decided for the time being while England and Italy lick their wounds.

There is not much to report from the French this turn, as the lines are pretty much held despite some very good italian attacks from the alps into the plains. The Italians, not wanting to follow up, simply let the french reoccupy these areas.

The Italian fleet also flees from the confrontation that the French and British had forced it into, and possibly leave for the Black Sea. I expect they have docked in Istanbul, to refuel and such. French surface fleets also return to port, to refuel and replenish supplies.

Once again Frankfurt was the victim of a night bombing raid by the French Airforce. Despite even more flak being there than before, no planes were lost.

Some times you have to celebrate even the smaller victories. A big show is thus made out of the capture and liberation of the last Ethiopian city under italian control. Addis Abeba was captured, without a shot being fired. Watch this space for either a full blown attempt at covering up this mistake by the Italians, who spent most of the years prior to the game, trying to conquer Ethiopia, or for some sort of misdirection. There is no hiding that this is a major international boon for the allies, in a turn that is otherwise not very exciting.

Losses this month were light, and the gift of 400 Ju-52s has solved Italys supply problem in Africa and the med. Half the supply was sunk, because half the supply went by air! A few transports were shot down or had some sort of accident, but the plan seems to be a success. Readiness climbs in Africa and theres plans for a counter attack.

The british have discovered that the defenses in Ethiopia were cardboard and dirt. The nation abandoned by Italy a year earlier.

With so many internal issues, Mussolini abandoned his own hopes at re building the Roman empire and placed his hopes in one of his fascist protoges. It appeared he'd signed on with fools when the Soviet union declared war on germany which the little lance corporal promised wouldnt happen. But so far the Furher is holding his own. Even Italy has won some victories and is providing a clear advantage to the axis forces. France cant defend its entire borders from attack. The end has begun for them.

News comes in that Brussels falls into axis hands and its factories immediately begin creating the needed transportation for the furhers promised new armored division (he is referring to it as "mechanized" but Mussolini is sure thats just a new term for an armored division, that crazy furher and his word games).

Battlefield reports are find soviet troops to be of inferior stock, but their quantity is truely frightening. Before the war soviet production was lack luster at best, but the nations sheer size makes conquest unlikely.

A political solution, or some other sort of solution must be found. Perhaps when Europe is in axis hands, and the empire of japan can play its part in the axis grand strategy, they will realize peace is perferrable to war. The USA is quiet thus far, but capitalist imperialist invaders in europes affairs is something the axis leaders are sure the soviets dont want either.

A new operation that has been in planning for sometime has gone into effect and the last river in china has been crossed and bridged by japanese combat engineers.

SNLF Marines and 3 whirlwind divisions exploit the break through and utterly destroy a chinese army command.

Bombardments by the japanese carrier taskforce, and the imperial japanese army airforce, attack several other key command and control elements of the chinese army.

Operations are drawn up for the elimination of China from the world stage, and the exploitation of its resources to save the axis forces in Europe.

Since the soviet union attacked the axis powers in Europe, communication with the OKW has been severed. Japanese army officials and statesmen within the soviet union were arrested or detained.

Hirohito keeps steady with the plan devised at the Istanbul conference, though he has no idea what the situation is in germany. Its possible there IS no more germany after the soviet unions declaration of war.

The mood in France is not good. While the integrety of the french line is held, something has to be done about the constant assaults made by Italy, into french territory. The assaults are killing of 4 divisions each month as things stand, which is alot, by French standards. Talk has been circulated about a new plan to combat this, but nothing is concrete at the moment.

Night time raids on Frankfurt this month saw the first losses of the war for night bombers. This was possibly due to the fact that Turkish (?) heavy anti aircraft guns had moved into position in the city. Losses were 1 heavy night bomber II and 1 night bomber I, later when the british too attacked by night, they lost a night bomber I as well. Still it feels good to know that the Germans and their allies felt a need to combat our night bombers.

Things are heating up in africa, as the Italians have started an offensive in Libya. A single British division felt the brunt of these attacks. The RAF and RSAAF quickly avenged these losses by bombing artillery units that were exposed. Quite a few artillery peices were destroyed. In East Africa, the last of the Italian cities fell: No resistance. Soon troops will be moved from the horn of africa to more pressing areas of need.

Here is how the situation in France looked at the end of the British turn.

The Americans try to wake up of their isolationism, but once again fail to. The chance of america joining the war is now 5%.

1939, March, Chinese turn,

Chinese command is preparing for the worst. And it seems to be happening. There is no disguising that the bombing and halving of one army command center, and the near destruction of another is a deep blow to the chinese morale and combat effectiveness. Will the Chinese find a way to halt the Japanese onslaught?

Night time raids on Frankfurt this month saw the first losses of the war for night bombers. This was possibly due to the fact that Turkish (?) heavy anti aircraft guns had moved into position in the city.

Yeah those wiley Turks have been producing my heavy flak guns. Might not be as good as german ones, but its just a defensive unit so i figured why waste national production on it. Kemal can handle that. Plus I need the heavy flak guns down there to help protect the beleaguered italian fleet.

Glad to hear I finally knocked some of those down! It took a turn or two for their XP to get up enough they could actually hit something.

The noose tightens around France as another 500 tons of supply ends up at the bottom of the channel. Antwerp falls, and Italy plans an offensive.

The Kriegsmarine returns to port, but not before sinking the Marat and Stovi, two soviet battleships that had been terrorizing troops formations around Danzig.

Several soviet divisions are routed, but german troops in the area after the conquest of Poland need a rest and dont follow up.

The soviet army appears to be very weak so far, but eventually the numbers will start to add up. Production needs to be hurt, soon, but until France and Greece are handled, nothing can be done offensively.

Arabia will be a target eventually. British and french troops strength in the area is pretty strong, and soon elements from africa and india will arrive.

Italy adds to the pressure against the french, and this time crosses the river in the south of france in force.

I expect either some brutal counter attacks, or a full withdrawl of what can be saved in france.

I dont have full recon of whats in France (we've actually just lowered all recon values by 75% in our newest version, I think that will make a big difference and be more what people are used to in wargames, as it is you can see pretty far and have a pretty accurate view of whats where) but I think I can see enough.

There are some very well placed reserves of armor. Ive had to be cautious and not move into hexes even after successful attacks unless im sure I can hold that hex. Or if I can achieve (as with japan) a good result in defense, that weakens the enemy strategically. The 2nd is perferable when you can outnumber your enemy, or have a production advantage. You may lose divisions in their entirety, but if the cost of destroying those divisions is high enough for the enemy that it weakens their entire front, ill happily hang some young men out to dry.

I think the tipping point has happened here in France this turn (or certainly next turn) Thats why I feel safe posting a picture with units.

France still has some very strong divisions, and good defensive posture, but counter attacks are going to drastically weaken their numbers, and ruin their entrenchment, which on the plains, will be the only thing saving them from total annihilation.

They can also throw themselves at the germans in a hope to at least weaken germany, if Ernie sees that as strategically viable. But the tipping point in production is coming in the next turn or so too.

I believe the UK has around 106k production points, and germany just passed that.

It gained some more from coups and such, but has last amsterdam, brussels and antwerp which is over 10k there.

I think things are shaping up historically, I accelareted the war a bit, its just now going to pass May 1939, and that brought the soviet union into the war. Fortunately I dont think Bombur has had time to sort out the lack of Staff, and the general crap quality of the troops. So it isnt making the impact I was fearful of. The loss of Koniegsburg is bad, but Ill get it back in a few turns, either killing tons of soviets (now that their battleships are no longer a threat I can resume moving along the coast) or Bombur will cede it back due to attacks to the flanks making it an encirclement risk.

I dont feel I can move very far into russia though, with troops from minor nations, and a distinct lack of armor (from starting the war in late 1938, I have no armor factory and cant waste production replacing losses)

The german Force graph is on the rise again. Not at its all time high, but barring unforseen slaughter in 2 turns german strength will reach the highest point so far. I know Russia's is skyrocketing, but I can be fairly certain the allies are plummeting like a rock.

Losing 1000 power points worth of battleships probably looks pretty bad on the graph. Though its not really as bad as it shows. France is really supposed to lose unless by some miracle the german player makes massive errors.

The same with China. If these guys are winning against experianced axis players theres balance issues. So far I think everything is going very well, historically plausible but not rigidly historical.

America and Japan entering the war is going to be the crux of the game, if those dynamics of the real war continue in the mod, things are going to look very dire for the allies before the americans can help.

And of course Japan is going to be crucial to axis survival once that happens, making the war truely a WORLD war instead of in such small localized areas.

I think things are going to get very exciting once everyones attention and forces are diluted across tens of thousands of miles of fronts and borders.

And after some deliberation, two upgrades to Japanese production are purchased. The home islands now produce 50% better than before, and 75% better than they did at the start of the game, about a year and a half ago.

Factories utilizing japanese workers are planned in china for the start of next year.